General Comments for all Naweedna Compilations
· Will Moyle’s Jazz Alive, a locally produced master collection of classic jazz. The Will Moyle stuff is the best collection of jazz I’ve ever heard. I taped it in the 80s from WXXI broadcasts.
· FFUSA: Folk Festival USA, a nationally distributed collection of excerpts recorded live at various folk festivals around the country – varying from traditional country to purely ethnic, to socio-political (one lesbian festival, in fact). FFUSA is eclectic, and the live recordings often catch a lot of crowd noise as well as bad microphone placement. Originally taped from WXXI in the 80s.
· GTWG: The Glory That Was Grease, another locally produced broadcast that featured the formative years of Rock and Roll from the 50s and 60s – my youth. The “Grease” may have been “Greece”, the Rochester suburb where the program originated. The GTWG is marginal but good for reminding my generation of their teenage years – if that can be considered a good thing. Originally taped from WXXI in the 80s.
· BBGR: Big Band Go Round, yet another local program featuring … Big Band, but also including most anything recorded from the 20s to 50s. The BBGR is so broad that it is unlikely to be duplicated anywhere. However, you have to have a fondness for the crackle of scratchy old 78’s and an appetite for schmaltz to fully appreciate it. Originally taped in the 80s.
· PHC & PHC-D: Prairie Home Companion – the middle years. I didn’t get started with PHC until the 80s, so I missed the early period, and I stopped taping when Garrison retired – for the first time. Remember the unfortunate guy who took over the time slot from Garrison? Me, neither. AS IF anyone could do that – a classic no-win situation. When Garrison un-retired (like Michael Jordan), the second version of the show was based in NYC, and I didn’t care for it that much, so I didn’t tape it. A few years later I discovered that he had gone back to the old format and was broadcasting from St Paul MN again. I’ve been digitizing those programs in real time ever since, and they are designated as PHC-D. The PHC stuff contains the essence of American music – in my not-so-humble opinion. The only nationally broadcast show that ever came close to matching PHC for quality and variety was the TV show, Northern Exposure – go figure. I have two Northern CDs; if there are more, I would like to know about them ASAP.
· WRUR: Bob “Music Man” Mahoney has been telling me about two WRUR broadcasts for years. I’ve finally started recording them in September 2011. They are: 1) Mystery Train - Mark Grube (88.5, Wed 6-8) and 2) Gumbo Variations - Rick Simpson (88.5, Th 6-8). The Music Man was right of course. If you believe that these two syndicated radio shows are to be respected, then I have to believe that they validate my feelings about music.
· Recording & Release Dates: The parenthetical numbers appended at the end of track titles represent the release date of the album or CD source. These dates are as accurate as I can obtain. The dates for some tracks from compilations reflect the release date of the compilation. Format: (xx, yy) where xx = last two digits of recording date; yy = last two digits of release date.
As usual, my comments are in blue. The other information comes from www.allmusic.com and various lyrics sources. Additions and corrections are welcome … encouraged, in fact.
In Memoriam … 2013:
· Bob Brozman Obituary
· Dave Brubeck Obituary
· Donald Byrd Obituary
· Earl Carroll (The Cadillacs) Obituary
· Fontella Bass Obituary
· George Jones Obituary
· JJ Cale Obituary
· Lou Reed Obituary
· Magic Slim Obituary
· Marian McPartland Obituary
· Richie Havens Obituary
Some Preliminary Comments …
In Memory Of Those Who Raised Me …
As you know, my mother died this year and that event stirred up emotional memories of my father, my uncles & aunts, and grandparents ... the people who raised me … and their influence on me. That emotional reality, plus several beers left by our gracious friends who attended the reunion, and the passing of so many artists that have helped shape my musical being … and the wonderful woman I live with … these things have all come together and culminated in the completion of Naweedna 2013. My emotions are on the surface for all, and I offer Naweedna 2013 for your enjoyment. For those of you who have lost someone near & dear, I hope you can identify with the Family Remembered Mix. For those who have avoided this experience, take note and be especially attentive to those you call family – their time here, like yours, is ephemeral, so try to avoid the dreaded “wish I had …”
Michael Gerson’s (Washington Post) words speak to the issue:
… The healthy (rather than morbid) recognition of our mortality is realism ... Each of us is conceived with a seed of mortality that can’t be surgically removed. It grows until it kills us, hopefully after a long life that honors the incredible, temporary privilege of living. We are, as WB Yeats harshly put it, “fastened to a dying animal.” … I’ve gained a greater appreciation for the familiar words of the psalmist: “Teach us to number our days.”
The Playlist and Notes for Naweedna 2012
01 Family Remembered Mix
Dukes of Dixieland - I Almost Lost My Mind - Tiger Rag (1986)
Garrison Keillor - Suppertime - PHC Tape (1979-87)
Masters V - Those Wonderful Days - PHC Tape (1979-87)
Steve Kaufman - I Still Can’t Say Goodbye - Bullet Train (1997)
Robin & Linda Williams - Visions Of Mother & Dad - PHC (2008.02.02)
Garrison Keillor - Family Radio - PHC Tape (1979-87)
Garrison Keillor - Goodbye To My Uncles, Farewell To My Aunts - PHC (2000.11.18)
Willie Nelson & Asleep At The Wheel - Going Away Party - Ride With Bob (1999)
I have high hopes but low expectations for this eight-track, 25 minute blend. The word-pictures in the lyrics trigger emotional memories of my youth ... for me. However, many of you are not going to have the same reaction to these selections; you have to be of a certain age and have had life experiences parallel to mine. There aren’t many of you who satisfy these criteria. However, experience has shown that my assumptions can be faulty, and I hope they are in this case. Whatever, I’m offering these things that mean so much to me for your consideration. Give ‘em a fair hearing and get out of ‘em what you can. Do it for both of us.
The Dukes of Dixieland track just happened to pop up on our playlist around the time Mom died, and I was struck by how appropriate it seemed. That was the seed that grew into the Family Remembered Mix. Over the years, I’d identified several other tracks that reminded me of those who raised me, and I tagged them “Dad”. From those, I pulled out six that best represented my emotional frame of mind.
Garrison’s Suppertime conjures up images of being called to dinner during my childhood. It was always dusk, the cooling air refracted the sound. I can still hear the clatter of kitchen implements and see the brightening glow of interior lighting. Deep sigh …
The Masters V track never fails to give me chills: “I Had A Home, What I Time I Had With My Mom And Dad” … those voices, those words unfortunately cut short due to time constraints.
Garrison does what I think is a better version of I Still Can’t Say Goodbye, but there were already too many Garrison offerings, so I opted for Steve Kaufman’s version. It’s a thought-provoking tune for sure.
The Robin & Linda Williams-penned Visions Of Mother & Dad is the most current and included for obvious reasons.
Garrison’s Family Radio also brings back memories of my youth ... back before TV when Radio was king/queen. Garrison has a talent for packing his words with emotion – for those of us in my age group.
Goodbye To My Uncles, Farewell To My Aunts is significant because I grew up in close proximity to my Uncle Buck & Aunt Gladys; from 1948-57, we lived at the theater in 1948 Spartan trailers. Then there were my other uncles & aunts who were more remote but nonetheless important. I never got to know my Grandfathers (both died when I was 5), but my Grandmothers were long-lived and prominent contributors to my life. Without these people, I would not be the person I am – for better or worse.
Once I had those seven tracks blended together, I wanted something that continued the mood but also provided a transition to less emotional offerings. I’d tagged Willie’s Going Away Party for Naweedna inclusion long ago, but never found an appropriate spot for it. Well, it seemed to serve the purpose of capping off the tribute and transitioning to the rest of the CD. Hope it works for you. I especially like the “Goodbye” at the end.
Putting this mix together was cathartic for me, but I realized that it would never have the same significance to others. Many of the tracks fall in the gap between favorites and genuine Naweedna selections, but they seem appropriate for commemorating the passing of the generation who raised me. Thus, the mix satisfies my operating philosophy: If not now, when?
Biography: Dukes of Dixieland, Garrison Keillor, Masters V, Steve Kaufman, Robin & Linda Williams, Willie Nelson, Asleep At The Wheel
CD Review: N/A
Lyrics: N/A
02 JJ Cale - Call Me The Breeze-JJ Cale
Naturally (1971)
Well, there were really only two choices to commemorate JJ’s passing: After Midnight & Call Me The Breeze. The former is much too well known, so I settled for the latter. It has double meaning for those of us who have read Christopher Moore’s Practical Demonkeeping.
Biography: JJ Cale
CD Review: Naturally
Lyrics: Call Me The Breeze
03 Donald Byrd – Cantelope Island
Up With Donald Byrd (1964)
Okay, the music critics didn’t like this album much. However, I did. I had to pick from several of my long-time favorites: Boom Boom, House Of The Rising Sun, You’ve Been Talking About Me Baby, Blind Man & Cantelope Island. Well, I settled on Cantelope Island because of Jason. I expect he will like this track – may even be his favorite of the offerings. Maybe some others will like it too. We’ll see.
Biography: Donald Byrd
CD Review: Up With Donald Byrd
Lyrics: N/A
04 Fontella Bass – Home Wrecker
Free (The Paula Sessions) (1972)
Oh my, this track came up on Mark Grube’s Mystery Train (WRUR) and I immediately tagged it for inclusion in a future Naweedna. Then Fontella died and I knew then and there that this would be on Naweedna 2013. Hmmm, wonder how many people are going to think this is Aretha?
Biography: Fontella Bass
CD Review: Free (The Paula Sessions)
Lyrics: Can’t Find Lyrics Posted
05 Dave Brubeck Mix
Take Five - Time Out(59)
Blue Rondo A La Turk - Time Out(59)
Unsquare Dance - Time Further Out(61)
Camptown Races - Gone With The Wind(59)
I Feel Pretty - Bernstein Plays Brubeck Plays Bernstein(60)
Basin Street Blues - Gone With The Wind(59)
Brubeck’s Time Out (59) was the first serious jazz album I bought. Over the years, I’ve nearly worn the vinyl out. I also bought Time Further Out, Gone With The Wind & Bernstein Plays Brubeck Plays Bernstein as soon as they hit the shelves. I cut my musical teeth on these albums, so they are especially important to me. I also really like Joe Morello & Paul Desmond, both of whom are prominent on these six tracks that have been whittled down to 9 minutes.
Mahoney suggested that I not include tracks like Take Five & Blue Rondo … just too common. I just couldn’t omit them all together, so I opted to make a mix with shortened versions. I also included the fantastic Unsquare Dance which has always been a favorite of mine. The Camptown Races reminds me of horses thundering down the track. I Feel Pretty & Basin Street Blues feature Desmond’s smooth, soulful sound. Then we end with a short Take Five reprise … we’re done … Dave is gone, but his music lives on.
Biography: Dave Brubeck
CD Review: Time Out, Time Further Out, Gone With The Wind, Bernstein Plays Brubeck Plays Bernstein
Lyrics: N/A
06 Bobby “Blue” Bland – Stormy Monday
Here’s The Man (1969)
Bobby Blue Bland has been a favorite artist for years, so I had nearly 50 tracks to pick from to commemorate his unfortunate passing. After auditioning them all, Janie & I settled on Stormy Monday. I like the subtle guitar background … wonder if it’s him or some sideman. I’ll bet Mahoney knows. Then there was the breathy “Yeah” before the guitar interlude … love it … hope you do. And the stereo separation is extreme – try listening on a headset at high sound-level.
Biography: Bobby “Blue” Bland
CD Review: Here’s The Man
Lyrics: Stormy Monday
07 Marian McPartland - On Green Dolphin Street
Bossa Nova + Soul (1963)
This is another album that got blasted by the critics. I beg to differ. I bought it in 1963 because I was heavily into Bossa Nova and it featured the new-at-the-time electric piano. I had a tough time picking one track from the eight on the album, but eventually settled on On Green Dolphin Street because I like the tune and Marian offers a nice interpretation.
Biography: Marian McPartland
CD Review: Bossa Nova + Soul
Lyrics: N/A
08 The Cadillacs – Speedo
1954-55 Rock ‘n’ Roll Era